Free Moving On Without You by Kiarah Whitehead Page A

surfing. She knew he would not be much help.
    "I was thinking maybe gun laws was a good
idea."
    She whipped her head around to face him, but bit
her lip to keep from screaming on the quiet floor. He laughed.
    "I'm having fun watching you try to keep your
cool. It's cute," he said.
    "This is what you find entertaining?"
    "Everything about you is entertaining."
    "Great."
    Seeing him laughing made her crack a smile.
    "You make me sick," she said.
    "Admit it. You like having me around."
    She tried to hide the smile from forming on her
face, but could not keep it concealed for long.
    "I bet you really think that."
    "I know I'm not the only one that's happy to
be here."
    "I'm here because I don't want to fail PIG."
    "And because you love me."
    She opened the musty book and scanned through the
table of contents.
    "I think these are fine. You take two and
I'll take two. Write up the highlights and email it to me."
    She wrote her email address down for him and tore
the page. He folded the note and placed it in his pocket.
    "I just want you to know that you're the
cutest partner I've ever had," he said.
    Tracy picked up the books and headed to the
register to check out before the four o'clock bus left her on the wrong side of
town. She could not stop herself from smiling even after she got home. This was
the most male attention she had gotten in months and she could not help but
enjoy it.
    MD was mildly charming when you got past the
annoying exterior. Something about him was kind and she thought he might be
easier to trust than her last three partners. It had been months since they had
met and he was pretty much the same every time she saw him. Tracy just was not
sure if she was too shallow to accept him in front of her friends.
     
    Tracy was falling asleep through most of English.
When she looked down at her notebook, she could not even read the words. Toward
the end, they weren't even on the lines. She was up all night tossing and
turning. It was becoming impossible to sleep at night due to the naps she took
after school ended.
    She woke up in time copy down the homework
assignment from the chalkboard. She walked with Chloe to the cafeteria, but
left her to sit with John which had become the norm. She enjoyed the mellow
atmosphere at his table. Chloe did not seem to care much. Her and John started
out talking about Chemistry but over time they were becoming friends. He seemed
to understand her and she opened up to him in ways she had never been able to
with Chloe.
    "I see you partnered up with Mohammed,"
John said.
    "We have this project."
    "That sucks."
    "I'm starting to think he isn't so bad
actually."
    "Really?"
    "Yeah, he's kind of nice and pretty smart.
You wouldn't think so but he is."
    "I still think you could do better."
    Tracy looked up at John but could not read his
expression. She began to think he might be a little jealous of MD, but she was
not sure why he would be. He had never expressed any interest in her.
    "We're not dating. It's just a project."
    "I mean, you can do what you want. I'm just
wondering if you're making the right choice."
    She realized her friend just wanted what was best
for her. It was ridiculous to think that he wanted her in any other way. Some
guys were only interested in friendship and it was nice to have someone in her
corner.
    MD came over to get a coke out of the vending
machine. She watched him pressing the button wondering if it was an excuse to
get her attention.
    "Hey!" MD said.
    "Hey!" Tracy said.
    "I found some stuff online that is different
from what I saw in your notes. I emailed it to you so you can check it
out."
    "Thanks."
    "So when are we gonna write this thing?"
    "I thought I would write up my sections and
you write up yours.
    "Yeah but I don't really know how you wanna
write it. Maybe we should do an outline or something together?"
    "Oh okay."
    "We can meet at my house. You busy after
school?"
    Tracy had never been to MD's house. She was
curious about him and anxious to explore